The World of Bushcraft

I got badly lost the last time I left the Woodland Ways' World of Bushcraft centre in Bedford. If you want the A1(M) you need to initially follow the M1 road sign to ultimately get to the A603 to Sandy and therefore the A1(M). The road off the roundabout on the A603 (which leads to the Barkers Lane turning) is marked as the A5140 on internet maps, but look for the (A428) to Cambridge sign.

Once you are near you'll see signs for the Premier Inn, turn into the car park and park up. You'll see a wall with another parking area accessed through a small opening, it's in here that you'll find the World of Bushcraft.



Anyway, I recently visited the centre again to see Jason Ingamells for a 1-2-1 bushcraft session and whilst there I asked Kevan Palmer if it was OK to take some pictures for my blog. I thought rather than add it to the 1-2-1 blog entry I'd do it as a largely pic heavy extra.

It has moved around since I was last there in that the display/ demo area is now in the far corner and separate from the impressive library/ study area. The thing that I like about the layout is that whilst it is kit heavy, it's well laid out and doesn't look rammed or cluttered like other establishments I could mention.

As well as seeing Jason there for the tuition, Kevan Palmer was also there, along with Jo as it was stocktake time and it was good to have a chat with all of them..as well as multiple petting sessions with the boss Quercus of course!

Towards the library/ study area and Maasai display/ The Maasai display..

Towards the book section/ A view from within the clothing section of the display/ area..

A shot looking at part of the clothing section and sleeping/ tarp stuff/ Water leading onto their new range of Dutch ovens (I was taken by the Dutchies, the new ones look like a solid piece of kit with the lids having little 'legs' to make it perform well as a skillet). 

Flasks, leading onto the shiny sharps bit.

The pictures I've taken are by no means exhaustive when it comes to  the full range and I would encourage a visit, or failing that a look at the website. Don't forget that the centre also does a large (and indeed recently expanded) list of tutoring sessions on a Wednesday afternoon. If you wanted to make more of a day of it, you are right next to the Priory lake too.







World of Bushcraft Bowdrill 1-2-1

Of all the things bushcrafty I've taught myself it has to be mastering a bowdrill. I didn't rush out and try but I read watched asked and re-checked, I settled on trying with a willow set and I got the pieces of kit as and when I could in a controlled manner, rather than dashing out and trying to source them asap. When I got started I managed copious smoke and brown cool dust on attempts 1-3, and ember on attempt 4 which I managed to blow out of my tinder bundle (crestfallen doesn't begin to cover it), and an ember and a flaming tinder bundle on go 5 in late September 2008. I've saved the charred depression which I used to conquer it, along with the bow I used which is so large I wonder how I managed, but manage I did to the point where it developed a crack and I inserted a screw to hold it!

For a while I became quite proficient and branched out (no pun intended) to use other woods which included poplar, ivy, lime,  hazel and sycamore and could do multiple coals one after another. So far so good you might think, so fast forwarding to now, why am I looking at a bowdrill 1-2-1 session at the World Of Bushcraft?

Earlier I used the word mastering, perhaps this suggests I'm skilled enough to be almost infallible. I'm not of course. I don't practice enough and equally don't rotate the different woods that can be used (I'm currently a hazel and lime man, the best combo I have used in my humble opinion).

I've also tried demonstrating twice (outside of my immediate household) and both were less than successful. The first was at Cubs when I was in the groove but I found out very quickly that bow drilling straight after tea isn't good due to the cramped drilling stance and I got close but it was hurting too much! For the second I was cajoled on a slightly damp day against my better judgement and again, despite making lots of smoke  I couldn't quite manage an ember.

Both these episodes knocked my confidence somewhat and I found myself using the technique in splendid isolation and with longer gaps between embers...I was managing one and resting on my laurels which is something I'm still doing to a certain extent...This is where Mr Jason Ingamells comes in...





I was lucky enough to get a 'Willy Wonka' golden ticket to the World of Bushcraft opening and I recall Jason's smooth bowdrilling action when he gave a demo and this, coupled with the all weather nature of the premises (and what I've just typed previously) made me decide to get in contact.

The 1-2-1 was sorted for the morning of January 13th and normally when you are looking forward to something it seems to take ages to arrive, but the time seemed to fly and actually I found myself rushing round to get some stuff sorted to take! I'd actually said that I'd have paid a small fee just to talk about fire by friction as my family usually give me a Mrs Brown 'That's nice' when I go into detail about anything bushcrafty.

As Sunday night arrived I had a bit of trepidation about the next day. This was exacerbated somewhat by the fact that , as stated, I tend to rest on my laurels and the extended period of rainy weather had meant that the only chance to practice before the session was the afternoon before. It was dry but with a damp feel in the air and with a bit of huff and puff I managed to knock out a quite decent ember (which as I'd bothered I blew to flame). I was pleased with this but decided to leave it at that because I needed to save my muscles for the two hour stint that awaited...Or did I?

It was a beautiful day to drive up to Bedford and having arrived in good time I decided to have a quick look at the Priory lake which is behind the centre (but accessed through a different road).

A quick look it was as I was itching to get into the World of Bushcraft centre. I grabbed my bowdrilling stuff and headed in to be greeted initially on the stairs by Quercus, and then Kevan Palmer who was there helping out  with a stocktake, having said hello to him and the radiant looking Joanne *with child*, Jason made his way out of the office to see me and got on my right side by making me a cup of tea!

I had a quick stooge around the retail part, a sort of pre shopping browse, and then headed to the display/ demo area to set myself up before Jason came over with the beverage. We sat down and started having a chat about Woodland Ways' success in the Best in Bushcraft awards and this and that and then we started.

Apart from an email I sent Jason about some areas that I would like to look at I was quite open to seeing how the session progressed and hearing anything he wanted to add. As I'd dragged along my sets and various paraphernalia Jason decided to start by looking at my sets and critiquing them, some dimensions were due to preference/ size but some were perhaps issues that I'd built into my game and compensated as I was self taught. He was very honest but not once did I feel like I was being told off. And we went on from there until we had a mix of my stuff and the centres demo stuff together (we also used my knife which I'm pleased to say past muster on the sharpness front).

I then had my bowdrilling 'weighed', my stance and speed tweaked, the powder pulled apart (like an owl pellet) to be shown the contradictory nature of the different coloured powders' size. The temperature of my bowdrilling and resulting ember, discussions on cordage and with lots of digressions and asides about fire, bushcrafting, and the world in general.

I  said to Jason that I likened the tweaking of my kit and stance to a passage I read in a book about the Supermarine Spitfire which listed lots of minor modifications like a smooth wax and a whip aerial which added about 40mph to the plane's speed, regardless of what engine was 'under the bonnet'.

Once I'd put all the things that Jason had pointed out together I turned the hot dust I was making under his watchful eye into a viable, self sustaining ember in literally seconds and I actually commented on the amount of smoke those few seconds issued...it made me cough which has never happened before! To finish with Jason suggested that I have a look through the centre's box of baseboards and drills and marry them up for a final practice. My random selections yielded results but on the first depression I was talking and overdid the v shaped notch, the second I did a bit too close to the edge of the board. This was still a win as I was taught how to drill at a slight angle on the second, and managed to 'nipple' an ember on the first.

  

With a professional bushcrafter instructor who could talk himself hoarse about fire, tutoring a hobbyist bushcrafter who was willing to listen and interact until hoarse the two hours just flew by and my plan to take loads of pictures and notes didn't realty materialise as I was so absorbed.

I've realised that my style was all turn and burn...fighting the bowdrill set to rip fire from it whereas I'll now cajoule the bowdrill set to give me fire from it. Without getting too higher self it's almost strikes me as being similar to showing nature (ie the trees that have provided the wood) respect for what it gives up. As I look at the picture of the ember I knocked out the day before for practice I now think wasted energy instead of good amount of powder. I bid Jason farewell as he was heading for a meeting but I had just enough time to stash my kit before coming back in to have a spend. Have a look at my later bowdrill technique and combinations page here to see my 'journey'.



Possum and Wool Hat From Woodlore

I've seen a lot written about  the Possum fur and wool and decided that I'd stump up the £20 that one needs to get one from Woodlore. There are four colours available and I want it to use it when out and about in the woods or countryside so I instantly dismissed navy and black (especially the former), so that left me with moss or ebony to choose from, and  after lots of umming and ahhing, I decided on the latter as it was a dark brown but could be used with black clothes too.



Guess who managed to add a navy one to his basket and duly order it? Yep, me. I was crushed to say the least and emailed Woodlore to see if they would take pity on this numpty...They do have a very fair numpty policy! I've reproduced the email reply that I got from Woodlore's  Merchandise & Media Manager Steven Bullen :-

Hi there Austin, Please simply make a note on the invoice which colour you would like to swap for, and we will take care of it for you. Please just send the item back to us at the address below, with a copy of your invoice:

Woodlore Ltd, PO Box 3, Etchingham, East Sussex, TN19 7ZE. Please simply make a note on the invoice which colour you would like to swap for, and we will take care of it for you. Best wishes,

Steven Bullen,
Merchandise & Media Manager,
Woodlore Limited.

Can't say fairer than that! Upon receiving the email I posted it back and received it within four days and as far as I'm concerned it isn't physically possible to do it any quicker, especially as we where will into the Christmas gift buying time. 

Right, onto the hat. The navy hat is navy, the ebony is a gorgeous brown, and the first tactile impression of it is how lovely and smooth it feels in the hand, in fact it almost feels like cashmere. It's made as a 'tube' in that the hat can pull inside out into a shape that is reminiscent of a deflated football. It is however easy to push into shape.

The Woodlore online shop has the facility to rate purchases and when I emailed Steven to thank him for the smooth exchange I said that I'd rate the hat but after I'd used it, too many product reviews say things like 'It feels nice and I think it will be really good'-Review it after use!

So the goods things I've heard and read about this hat got tested. It really is a low itch hat and it's worth putting a cheap one on afterwards to get a comparison, it is very warm and as someone who suffers from earache it alleviates this when rolled down over your ears (adjusting the deflated football design) and precious little wind gets through.

With the current weather it wasn't long before I got to test it in the rain...And I chose an hour in rain that made bubbles in the puddles as it fell. I can report that my hat was warm and dry during this period. All in all I'm really pleased with this purchase and can confirm that all the good things you may hear about this product are indeed genuinely good things.  

Information on the use of possum fur and it's benefits can be found here, the range of goods available from Noble Wilde can be found here.



 

Five Items I'd Love to Buy But Can't Justify

I've said in my blog bio that I'm no kit tart and my approach is to buy for my usage or upgrade something where appropriate. If I had a large wedge of cash handed to me would I change this attitude? No...Ok yes, a bit...Maybe. 

If I put my mind to it I can probably triple this list (and beyond) but I sat and thought to myself 'What items would I love to own but couldn't justify?', the main criteria being cost and or/ actual over perceived usage.



The first thing on the list is knives...not knife, but knives. Arguably a blog entry in it's own right! I'm not different to many other hobbyist bushcrafters in that I started with a bombproof 

Mora and still use this trusted workhorse brand, but when I qualified for my long service award at work I was given some money which I could spend out on a single item to remind me of my qualification...I got a knife made by Lance Ockenden (aka Driftwood walker) and

really that will do me...ish, the ish is that my long leave award also qualifies me for a six month sabbatical from work during which I've tentatively lined up a knife making day. 

Now the point I'm going round the houses to make is that I use a Mora a lot, use the Driftwood walker less, and would use the future 'knife making day' blade as a bushcraft bucket list event (make my own knife and attempt a sheath too) so I'm  not the sort of person to spend hundreds and hundreds of pounds on lots of blades that in all honesty I wouldn't get the use of.

Next up is a Swazi coat. I've linked to Ray Mears' site because I, along with lots of other hobbyist bushcrafters no doubt, associate Ray with this type of coat and the reviews are literally five star. Whilst they also like good as well as doing a the job they are made for, I've never understood why there isn't a full length zip...or is there and I can't see it? I could see me using this coat but it's a lot of sheets.

Next up is the Frontier stove. Whilst my experience of this type of stove is limited to seeing them in use, this to me seems to be a good design. There are also 'bolt ons' to buy like a water heater, and seemed really well priced (before you buy any extras) compared to some other designs out there...but would I use it to justify getting one? It would be great to take one out and about if you could find somewhere that doesn't fall foul of the no barbeques, cookers or open fires rule for country parks etc, even though it's contained. I'd still love one for use at Cubs though...l can dream.

And of course you'd want a Lavvu tent to use your Frontier stove in. JP and Pablo use this style of tent extensively on Woodlife Trails courses but a combination of cost, usage and indeed portability would prohibit a purchase...the irony is that the stove is portable.

When I started visiting the bushcraft forums it seemed that the Karrimor Sabre  was the pack of choice (arguably part of the bushcrafters 'uniform') and indeed it looks fit for purpose, but the basic pack is a few pennies, plus side pouches (which I'd want)...This the 100 litre pack I  got. For the usage and distance I'll ever need to hump it it's spot on.

As stated earlier I could add other kit to this list (a trail cam springs to mind as a near miss off this list...one would be handy if I put Steve out) and indeed basic equipment and raw materials for other related bushcrafting subjects like willow weaving, flint knapping and leatherwork...if you are nodding in agreement with my thought process in this blog entry good stuff, if you are a kit tart vive la difference! 

Moccasins (aka Bushcraft Booties)

Bushcraft and Survival magazine issue 38 May/ June 2012 is memorable for me because I have an article on paracord knitting in there, but there are also several 'how to' articles that I've had my eye on to do for a while, none more so than Joe O'Leary's hybrid moccasin boot.

Well I rushed to do it...ok I didn't, it's been 18 months so I'll put this down to advanced procrastination just thinking about it being a good idea. But then Joe put it on his blog In the summer Pablo and JP asked me if I'd like to join Woodlife Trails as a course assistant, I think this was a subconscious trigger to start because whilst I generally won't be heading out with the clients, the thought of using them in Hatfield forest is a mouth watering prospect. I also get up at 03:45 on a Thursday and Friday for work so often I'm awake early on Saturday so I sometimes head over to Hatfield forest for a mooch around or a sit spot under my own steam.

Anyway, onto the moccasins ('bushcraft booties'). I am no expert with buckskin (I A N E W B) but I have been sitting on a piece of settee leather-not literally-for sometime and this seemed like a good use for it...I think this is part of the reason for taking so long to get going, it's the only piece I have. Buckskin is breathable but this grain on leather would be a bit more waterproof...so off I went. Instead of writing a long rambling piece I'll put bullet points with the pictures.

Joe recommended using calico to make a 'working' template from, I used a tough plastic sheet that was a supermarket cage flap in a previous life and duly set about cutting out the relevant pieces as per the instructions. I'd suggest using a ruler to get symmetry on the bottom piece sides and back because I did mine freehand and it was a bit high at the back on the finished design. Joe used several stitching styles, I just stuck with saddle stitch and got through the majority of an 18 metre length of artificial sinew.

Once I'd got the basic slipper puckered at the front, and stabled at the back I marked where I felt I could stitch up to and still squeeze my foot in fairly easily (this thought comes into play later).

Although it wasn't a deal breaker, I made the flap at the back too big and it overlapped where the back and sides had to be stitched onto the bottom section. I'd suggest about 2.5cm would do

I decided to use the full width of the naturally coloured artificial sinew (as opposed to pulling it apart to make slimmer lengths). I felt the chunky stitch suited the boot, and it meant I the thread was of a regular size and wasn't prey to me misjudging it when I pulled it apart. 





 I would also suggest trying the base on with paper clips holding the flaps secure. The don't mark and allow for accurate measurement. 

Marking out the area on the sides to make sure the moccasin covered my ankle.

The finished mock up. I A N E W B but I added a rectangular strip to the back of the final design to add a bit of strength to an area that I thought might wear a bit, you can see the stitching on one of the final pictures later on. I wondered with hindsight (and a big enough piece of leather) if it would be possible to extend the two flaps that fold across to form the heal, to make a reinforced heel that stretched up to the top of the boot, instead of adding one retrospectively.

Then to carefully un-stitch it and use as a template.

  Note the Wilderness Survival Skills logo! Also note the 'wings' on the above piece, these are the bellows that Joe sewed into his design separately which I decided to incorporate as a one piece design, to not only cut out some stitching but I thought it might make the area where the bellow meets the end of the puckered area over the toes a bit easier to seal satisfactorily.  

 The grain on templates cut with a copy of the magazine that the article appeared in.

Joe advised really making sure of your moves before committing...good job I tried with a small swatch on the toe because I would have crashed and burnt without! I'd marked out the puckered front with 0.5cm holes on the vamp (the long tongue), and 1 cm on the base...I'd overlooked the fact that there needs to be an equal amount of holes. I settled on 1cm vamp hole spacings, and 1.5cm holes on the toe end of the base as they seemed to marry up well and it made the measuring and maths easy. The above picture is one showing the small test piece for the puckering being cut out.

You can see from this picture that I've used a biro to mark the leather extensively (on the inside).

This practice section, as previously stated, was useful, neigh vital as it gave me the confidence and feel of the leather to get cracking on the real thing.

Once I undertook the puckering I found that using the awl to pull the sinew tight worked well and allowed for tweaking the pucker for an even finish.

I found that a pair of small pliers helped with pulling the needles through. Joe used a blunt pair of pliers.

This is the bottom section and the all-in-one bellow/ vamp section stitched together. The bellow/ vamp is bigger than it needs to be so that I have spare material to allow for stitching it to the area between the bottom and side (just after the puckered area), and to have some spare to experiment with the size of the bellow. Try using paper clips to roughly attach the bellows/ vamp to the side of your moccasin to see how big the aperture needs to be for you to slide your foot in!

 

I packed the base with newspaper and then looked for the best place to mark a line to stitch the back and sides to. I went for about 0.5 cm from the top and stitch spacing of 1cm. I would, with hindsight, do 0.5cm stitch spacing at the back. I A N E W B but I wondered if I could have left the sides attached to the base template of mine to save having to sew it on as a separate piece and then sewn up the extended heel flaps up the back (as suggested earlier). 

 

Once I'd decided on the height I found the central position at the back of the heel (on the top section) and marked it in pen. I then stitched from the central spot along one side then the other. The reason for this was to help with keeping the top section straight and I think it worked.

A close up of the lace eyelets. They are a little chunky but I made them with a stitched inner length of leather to give them some oomph so that I could pull on the laces and know that they'll hold! I also backstitched them when sewing them in to give added strength. The laces are 550 paracord (as Joe used). 

 

And that's one moccasin finished. I kept it stuffed with paper and sat it in front of me to spur me on with the second. I hit a bit of a wall when the second was about 75% done (like marathon runners) but staring at the first one helped. I decided to add a small  loop at the back of the boot to receive the lace but it will only work if you stop the front lace holes a shade lower than the top of the moccasin, and I felt that they were tight enough with a standard lace anyway.

The finished product pre Shoo Goo sole. I wore them around the house before adding it to see how they performed. They are of course bespoke products and there are subtle differences in them...The puckering on the second one is a smidge tighter, and coupled with a slightly different starting spot for the eyelets, makes the moccasin a bit smaller and shorter looking than the first. I A N E W B but it's not a problem with the grain on leather as it's quite forgiving so I'd suggest buckskin is the same. I'm now on the look out for mythical creatures of possible north African origin (you need to Joe's article to appreciate this).

To further add to the leather's water resistance Joe recommended a Lundhag preparation but I decided for the cheap and traditional Dubbin...No Goretex to bung up here!

This is the Shoo Goo to make the sole with. It stinks! Follow the instructions on the reverse. I thought I'd be flash and tape up the bottom of the moccasin to get army bedding straight lines-forget it...It's hard to achieve a consistently accurate tape line, and applying Shoo Goo within a taped area is like thinking you can paint a Turner seascape with a pre school chunky paintbrush. You can also get clear Shoo Goo which may work if you wish for a more all over naturally coloured moccasin (I guess).

The Shoo Goo goes off quick quickly so I'd recommend applying any rubber flakes (or coarse sand) as you go, but do the sole in one hit.I cut up a thin piece of rubber to make the flakes and they are a nuisance because they get a static charge as you handle them so they appear everywhere if you aren't mindful.

The finished moccasins together...

...having had a row...

...now not speaking....

...and playing dead.

I've had the current Bushcraft and Survival Skills magazine for about a month and decided not to open it until I'd finished the moccasins so that it didn't distract me. Joe's blog is well worth having a look at and the article specific to this project is here.

In summary, I'd suggest that this is a project for those competent at pouches etc who wish to stretch themselves. You will invest a lot of time and indeed the cost of the sundries needs factoring in too. Joe does a moccasin making course (linked to the buckskin making one I believe) but d'ya know what matey, consider selling a moccasin making kit...buckskin, sinew, instructions and then just add the other sundries and a little time!